Framework and interface for assessing reservoir management competency

Abstract

Embodiments are directed to methods, systems and user interfaces for assessing reservoir management competency for a petroleum producing field. In one scenario, a computer system measures, using various hardware-based sensors positioned in a petroleum reservoir supplying the petroleum producing field, physical or geological characteristics of the petroleum reservoir. The computer system establishes a reservoir management competency scoring system that evaluates a specific set of objective criteria that reflect a level of reservoir management competency at the petroleum producing field, and automatically generates, according to the objective set of criteria of the reservoir management competency scoring system, a reservoir management rating for the petroleum reservoir based at least in part on data measured by the sensors placed in the petroleum reservoir. Then, based on the generated reservoir management rating, the computer system controls operation of production units configured to direct extraction operations at the petroleum producing field.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A method, implemented at a computer system that includes at least one processor, for assessing reservoir management competency for a petroleum producing field, the method comprising:
 measuring, using one or more hardware-based sensors positioned in a petroleum reservoir supplying the petroleum producing field, physical or geological characteristics of the petroleum reservoir; 
 establishing a reservoir management competency scoring system that evaluates a specific set of objective criteria that reflect a level of reservoir management competency at the petroleum producing field, wherein the reservoir management competency scoring system includes a gas management rating that indicates a ratio of production gas-to-oil ratio (GOR) to solution GOR; 
 automatically generating, according to the objective set of criteria of the reservoir management competency scoring system, a reservoir management rating for the petroleum reservoir based at least in part on data measured by the one or more sensors placed in the petroleum reservoir; and 
 based on the generated reservoir management rating, controlling operation of one or more production units configured to direct extraction operations at the petroleum producing field. 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more production units comprise at least one of producing oil wells, water injection wells, gas injection wells, heat injectors, or one or more sub-components of the one or more production units, and wherein controlling the operation of the one or more production units comprises causing at least one of change in volume, change in pressure, change in temperature, change in well bore path, drilling one or more new production units, implementing peripheral water flooding, re-activating an existing well, or shutting down one or more existing production units. 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the physical or geological characteristics of the petroleum reservoir directly or indirectly relate to at least one of reservoir pressure, fluid saturation, well productivity and drawdown, fluid profile, oil production, gas production, water production, injection rate, displacement efficiency, sweep efficiency, bypassed petroleum, gas breakthrough, water breakthrough, depletion rate, compartmentalization, vertical and/or horizontal discontinuity, reservoir thickness, reservoir permeability, permeability, fluid viscosity, reservoir depth, or sand problems. 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the reservoir management rating is generated objectively, without expert opinions or interpretations. 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the hardware sensors are configured to capture pressure data, gas data, water ratings and production rate at the petroleum producing field. 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the reservoir management competency scoring system evaluates one or more of the following with respect to the petroleum reservoir: production performance, pressure management, water management, or recovery efficiency. 
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 6 , wherein the production performance indicates a comparison of current average productivity compared to peak productivity, thereby identifying what amount of material the petroleum reservoir is currently producing versus what the petroleum reservoir has produced over a past period of time. 
     
     
       8. The method of  claim 7 , wherein the production performance further takes into account production levels at different petroleum reservoirs within the petroleum producing field, identifying an amount of material recovered at other petroleum reservoirs within the petroleum producing field. 
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 6 , wherein the pressure management indicates a measurement of current pressure over initial pressure, resulting in a cumulative voidage replacement ratio (VRR) that indicates a ratio of total volume extracted over a specified time frame. 
     
     
       10. The method of  claim 6 , wherein the water management indicates a change in water cut over a specified time frame, the water cut comprising a ratio of water produced versus oil produced, and an indication of water injection efficiency that measures how much water has been injected versus oil extracted from the petroleum reservoir. 
     
     
       11. The method of  claim 6 , the recovery efficiency indicates a comparison of expected ultimate recovery (EUR) to a specified benchmark amount, the EUR indicating an approximation of an amount of oil or gas that is potentially recoverable or has already been recovered from the petroleum reservoir. 
     
     
       12. A computer program product comprising one or more computer storage media having thereon computer-executable instructions that, when executed by one or more processors of a computing system, cause the computing system to instantiate a user interface comprising the following:
 an interactive production performance indicator configured to illustrate a production performance rating for a petroleum producing field, the production performance rating being based on data captured at the petroleum producing field by one or more hardware-based sensors; 
 an interactive pressure management indicator configured to illustrate a pressure management rating for the petroleum producing field, the pressure management rating indicating a ratio of current pressure to initial pressure in the petroleum producing field; 
 an interactive water management indicator configured to illustrate a water management rating for the petroleum producing field, the water management rating indicating a change in water cut over a specified time; 
 an interactive gas management indicator configured to illustrate a gas management rating for the petroleum producing field, the gas management rating indicating a ratio of production gas-to-oil ratio (GOR) to solution GOR; 
 an interactive recovery efficiency indicator configured to illustrate a recovery efficiency rating for the petroleum producing field, the recovery efficiency rating indicating a ratio of an estimated ultimate recover (EUR) to a specified EUR benchmark; 
 a summary indicator providing an overall score for reservoir management competency at the petroleum producing field, the summary indicator comprising a combination of scores from the production performance, pressure management, water management, gas management and recovery efficiency indicators; and 
 at least one control element that allows control over operation of one or more production units at the petroleum producing field according to the summary indicator. 
 
     
     
       13. The computer program product of  claim 12 , wherein the control element of the user interface controls automatically providing operational commands to one or more of the production units. 
     
     
       14. The computer program product of  claim 13 , wherein the control element causes different operational commands to be sent to the production units based on the overall score of the summary indicator. 
     
     
       15. The computer program product of  claim 12 , wherein the user interface allows users to interact with each indicator to view a representation of underlying calculations for that indicator. 
     
     
       16. The computer program product of  claim 12 , wherein the user interface includes color and design schemes that allow a user to view and understand the summary indicator and combination of scores. 
     
     
       17. A computer system comprising the following:
 one or more processors; 
 system memory; 
 a measuring component configured to measure, using one or more hardware-based sensors positioned in a petroleum reservoir supplying the petroleum producing field, physical or geological characteristics of the petroleum reservoir; 
 a reservoir management competency scoring system that evaluates a specific set of objective criteria that reflect a level of reservoir management competency at the petroleum producing field, wherein the reservoir management competency scoring system includes a gas management rating that indicates a ratio of production gas-to-oil ratio (GOR) to solution GOR; 
 a rating generator configured to automatically generate, according to the objective set of criteria of the reservoir management competency scoring system, a reservoir management rating for the petroleum reservoir based at least in part on data measured by the one or more sensors placed in the petroleum reservoir; and 
 an operations control unit that controls operation of one or more production units, based on the generated reservoir management rating, to direct extraction operations at the petroleum producing field. 
 
     
     
       18. The computer system of  claim 17 , further comprising generating an interactive scorecard based on the reservoir management rating, such that the interactive scorecard indicates how effective a company's reservoir management is, and allows users to drill down into underlying causes for the rating. 
     
     
       19. The computer system of  claim 18 , further comprising generating at least a partial company valuation based on the scorecard indication of how well the reservoir is being managed.